Nut sheller



Feb; 16, 1954 L. J. MEYER 2.669,268

NUT SHELLER Filed Aug. 19, 1950 ZSheets-Sheet l l ti Fig. Z Fiq lINVENToR. f

Leo J. Meyer OPA/E Y6.

L. J. MEYER NUT SHELLER Feb. 16, 1954 Filed Aug. 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Fig. 4

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INVENToR. v eo J. Meyefvf BY f ,3

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Patented Feb. 16, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NUT SHELLER Leo J.Meyer, San Antonio, Tex.

Application August 19, 1950, Serial No. 180,413

5 Claims.

The invention relates to improvements in nut shelling machines and morespecifically to machines for loosening the kernels of nuts from theirshells. Machines embodying the invention are of particular utility inloosening the kernel of pecans from the shells thereof.

In the pecan shelling industry there are many sizes and types of nuts tobe worked upon to remove the kernel or meats from the nut shells. Suchnuts vary from the very small, hard shell, seedling pecans to thelargest paper shell pecans. In the past, an attempt has been made toprovide machines that would successfully remove the meats from'theshells. rHowever, difficulty has been experienced in that prior machineswould operate efliciently on one type of nut and fail utterly on anothertype of nut, either failing to shell the nut at all,or would so manglethe kernel or meat as to practically form a meal thereof,

An object of the present invention is to provide a nut shelling machinethat is capable of effectively removing the kernel or meat from theshells vof nuts regardless of the size or other characteristics of thenuts.

Another object is to provide a machine which will discharge both thekernel and the shell fragments las soon as they have been separatedwhereby unnecessary abuse of the kernel is avoided.

Still another object is to provide a machine which may be readilyadjusted or modied that any type may be efficiently shelled Withoutdamage to the kernel.

It is also an object to provide a shelling machine which may be used toseparate kernel or meats from the shells of nuts previously cracked. orto serve as a combined nut cracker and nut Sheller.

The foregoing objects together with other objects .and advantages of theinvention will be more fully apparent from the following descriptionconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 14 is a vertical longitudinal section through a machine embodyingthe invention;

Fig. 2 is a left hand elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a right hand elevational view of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig.Slis an enlarged sectional detail taken on lmet-6 in Fig.i4.1 y

f stood that the term shelling comprehends the loosening of the kernelfrom the shell and may be performed after the nuts have been subjectedto a prior shelling operation or without employing any means forbreaking the shells of the nuts before they are admitted to the machine.

The disclosed embodiment of the invention comprises a base I0surmounting legs II serving as a support for the superstructurecomprising an inlet hopper I2 at one end and a bearing support andclosure I3 at the opposite end. The hopper I2 and the plate I3 areprovided with aligned bearings I4 which support the agitator shaft-I5and the composite shelling cylinder I 6 mounted thereon.

The shelling cylinder I6 is of special construction and is rotatablymounted upon the shaft I5 by suitable bearings I'I whereby the cylinderand shaft may rotate independently, both being driven by a suitableprime mover such as the motor I8 best seen in Fig. 2.

The shaft of the motor I8 is provided at its outer end with a variablespeed V-pulley I9 which drives the pulley 20 on the shaft I5 through V-belt 2|.v The purpose of this particular drive connection is intended toenable flexibility in the speed of rotation of the shaft I5. Forexample, the pitch of the pulley I9 may be changed for different speedand a substitute V-belt 2| `of greater or less length will be providedthat the desired driving connection is had.

`The shaft of the motor I 8 is also provided with a pulley 22 drivinglyconnected to the pulley 23 through V-belt 25. The pulley 23 is mountedupon the end of a counter shaft 24 which passes through bearings in thebase Iii and is provided at its opposite end with a sprocket 26. Thissprocket drives chain 2'I which passes over the large sprocket 28forming the end of the cylinder I6 mounted on one of the bearings I1 onthe shaft I5. It thus becomes apparent that by suitable selection ofratios between the various V-pulleys, any suitable preselected relativerate of rotation between the agitator shaft I5 and the cylinder I6 maybe had.

The large sprocket 28 which closes one end of the cylinder I6 isprovided with a port or ports 30 through-which nuts may be admitted tothe interior of the cylinder I6. Similarly, the closure plate 29 at theopposite end of the cylinder is provided with one or more ports 3|whereby nuts,

or parts thereof, may be discharged from the cylinder and thence fromthe machine via the discharge spout or reject chute 4I.

Intermediate the large sprocket 28 and the plate 29 the cylinder I6comprises a series of rings 32 and spacers 33 assembled and clampedtogether upon tie bolts 34, each of which has one end secured in thesprocket 28 and the other end passingv through the plate 23 and providedwith a nut '3E atIits-outer end. It seemsapparent that'l if the endplate I3 is removed from the base lll, the bearing I'i loosened upon theshaft I and the nuts 35 removed from the tie bolts 34, the entire seriesof rings 32 and the spacersA 33 may be removed without disturbing partsof the machine with the possible exception of" the sides 36 and thecover 31. Thusthewidth ofv the space between successive rings 32 may bereadily chan-ged by inserting spacers 331 off se-A lected width orwidths and Varying in number of i-ingswithoutichangingthe length ofthe-cylinderil;

Aspbestseen in Fiss; Land 4, vthe shaft I5 `is providedawith` a. seriesof; pins or beater'bars 38. Each ofthese,` pins passes :through anopening inthe shaft land; is securedin place `as by means of la setAscrewed. Preferably, the pins 38-` vary in` lengthl longitudinally ofthe Ymachine, the, shortest-.I being spaced' a short distance from thehopper-end ofthe machine. It is also desirable thatzthe pinsberangularly staggered along theshaft preferably forming a helixwhichspirals rearwardly, relative .tothe directionr ofY rotation, from andtheentrance toward the exit end of. the mach-ine'.

AttentionV is directed; `to the structure of` the individual ringsxi ofthefcylinder I6. Each of these rings comprises an annular outer portion45 having relatively narrow parallel side faces 46 (Fig. 4) which mergeinwardly with convergingfsurfaces-.lllfwhich in turn terminate in arelativelynarrcwvland 48. itV becomes apparent thatI this constructionprovides, withvthe spacer 33, outwardly converging annular pockett9-through which nut meats and shellsmay pass once they have beenseparated, It is to be understood that spacersfora givenbatch ofnuts'will be so selected thaty the radial passage 50 fromthe pockets 49`willpass-eitherthe meats or theshell fragments, but willnotpassadhering meatsand shells.

At angularlyspaced points on eachY of the rings 32, the surface ilmerges into a gusset having a` sloping forward flange 5S. The gusset andflange are integrated? with thegboss A5'! which has anv axiallyextending passage to slidingly receive one ofthe tie bolts 3.4.Thisf'simple constru tion` servesto provide adequate strengthwhile atthe same time avoidingsledgesor pocketsinto which nuts, or partsthereof, may lodge.

The operation of the machine embodying'the invention is believedapparent from the foregoing description. By way of supplement, it willbe assumed that vthe machine is operating on nuts `that have previouslybeen run through a cracking machine. The material introduced Atotheyhopper I2-will-enter the cylinder- IIE in'three graded namely, (l)loose pieces ofgmeat and shell, (2) pieces of meat with shell; adheringto them, and (Si meats which have been insufficientlycracked`andttherefore repre-sent: an entire unitofA meat and'y shell. Obviously,the pieces Vof shell and meat which. have already, loosenedsufcientlytocome apart, shouldbe. agitated onlysullicientlvyto.Ieffer:1:;,senaratior1I` -Any;greaterl agi.-

`from the shell and the meat and shell p-romptly fallzthrough the spacebetween the rings. Nuts which have been insufficiently cracked proceedaxially`v of the cylinder constantly encountering vmore, severeagitation from engagement with the longer pins 38 until they are finallybroken into pieces'` to pass through the spaces between the rings. Inevent they are not broken sufficiently to l(pass I between. the .rinsS-,v.they eventually pass out-the right end of; the cylinder through theAopening. -3.| l and ,-are; dischargedthrough the reject chute 4 IFrom-.theforegoing it. is apparent thatinone of the meats are subjectedto more agitationthan is-necessary to separate them from adheringfragments of shellandizthereinlies an` impor tant; factor inpthespacingby the rings 32. vThis spacing should be just suiiic-ient: to Iallowl anun.- darnaged nuty meat-or lnernel,v 0f the sizerv being run,to fall therethrough. Ifvthe spacing is toov narrow, the meat will haveto bebroken, down before it can emerge from the cylinder. This F resultsin an inferiorproductA anda direct lossy in volume in theportionofi-meats which have been reduced-to meal.4 If `the spacing between therings istoo-widenadheringV meats and; shell will emergefrorn theAcylinder before the shell-- ing operation is-Icompleted; This entailseither hand labor or other expensive processes in an attempttc'recoverthe salable meat from the shell. 'lShus, the spacing betweenthe rings is always gaged from the size ofthe nutmeat being processed;

`The .speed of the-agitation shaft isvgoverned byk theV hardness oftheshell of the` nut being processed: Hard shell nuts require a higherspeed than do softer shell varieties. It is'tobe noted also that thehelix angle of the-pins -38 andthervspeed of the shaft i5 determineltheA rate of-trave1 of 'material throughthecylinder I6.y

Broadly, the invention comprehends, av nut shelling machine capable,ofiseparating nut meats ory kernels from the shell with aminilnumofdestructiv-e action upon Ithe meats.

Whaty isl claimed is:

1. A nut Sheller including, a housing a shaft journalledtherein, a`drum, a shaft supporting said drum with ends journalled for rotation insaid housing and comprising a plurality of spaced, separate rings, eachring including a ring having spaced apart, inwardly extending projec-`tions thereon with a boss-on each projection,

. said bosses providingjholes therein angularly spaced apartandlradiallyfspaced Vfrom the axis of said drum whereby said boss holesmay be axially aligned,v annular, separate; individual spacers betweensaid bosses for holding saiolA rings in selected' spacedrelation. atVtheir lperipheries, and tie means extending throughzsaidfholes and SadiSpacers4 with,` ends.: to` removably'l bear upon said drum ends to holdsaid drum ends andisa-idj rines:innaassembledrelationshin; saidlicusing;D- viding an inlet, said drum endaadjacentr-said inlet providing aninlet opening therein through which nut kernels and shells placed insaid inlet may pass into said drum, said housing also providing anoutlet and the other end of said` drum providing an outlet opening tocommunicate with said outlet, a bin below said drum, said shaft havingspaced radially extending pins thereon successively angularly displacedto form a helix between said inlet opening and said outlet opening andbeing progressively longer from said inlet opening to said outletopening to provide progressively increased beating action on the nutkernels and shells passing through said drum toward said outlet, each ofsaid rings comprising annular outer means and a smaller diametricallydimensioned annular inner portion whereby annular feed pockets areformed to conduct a substantial part of said nut kernels and shells in asifting action to the peripheral spaces between said outer portions tofall therethrough into said bin, each projection including a web forconnecting the boss thereon to said rim, said webs having one sidethereof which extends from the rim to the bolt receiving portion at asubstantial angle to a radial line from said drum axis to the point ofconnection of said side to said rim so that said bosses abet theshifting action of the drum in feeding through the feed pockets anddischarging through the spaces between said rings and avoid lodgmentpockets at said bosses.

2. A barrel tumble comprising, a series of rings, a plurality ofindividual means to selectively axially space said rings apart inaccordance with a multiplicity of pre-determined spacing patterns, eachring having a flat peripheral rim surface which combines with theperipheral surfaces of other rings to form a smooth cylindrical outerbarrel face, said ring being of greatest axial width at its peripheralrim and having its side faces converging radially inwardly forcooperation with side faces of adjoining rings to provide feed troughsleading to annularly uninterrupted discharge openings between the spacedrims, bolt receiving means including internal anchor bosses risinginwardly from the rings to receive through bolts which locate the rings,said bolt receiving means including said inwardly rising bosses whichhave a forward edge which slopes backwardly from the rim from a point inadvance of the boss to deect material being tumbled and avoid lodgmentpockets at the bosses.

3. A barrel tumble comprising, a series of axially spaced rings, eachhaving a hat peripheral rim surface which combines with the peripheralsurfaces of other rings to form a smooth cylindrical outer barrel face,said ring being of greatest axial width at its peripheral rim and havingits side faces converging radially inwardly for co-operation with sidefaces of adjoining rings to provide feed troughs leading to annularlyuninterrupted discharge openings between the spaced rims, internalanchor bosses rising inwardly from the rings to receive through boltswhich locate the rings, said bosses including webs for connecting thebolt receiving portion to the rim, said webs having'one side thereofwhich extends from the rim to the bolt receiving portion at asubstantial angle to a radial line from the tumble axis to the point ofconnection of said side to said rim so that said bosses abet the siftingaction of the drum in feeding through the feed troughs and dischargeopenings and avoid lodgment pockets at the bosses, said tumble includingthrough bolt receiving spacers K separately installable between saidbosses to selectively, axially space said rings apart to determine thewidth of said discharge openings as measured between adjacent rims.

4. A barrel tumble comprising, a series of axially spaced rings, eachhaving a iiat peripheral rim surface which combines with the peripheralsurfaces of other rings to form a smooth cylindrical outer barrel face,said ring being of greatest axial width at its peripheral rim and havingits side faces converging radially inwardly for co-cperation with sidefaces of adjoining rings to provide feed troughs leading to annularlyuninterrupted discharge openings between the spaced rims, internalanchor bosses rising inwardly from the rings to receive through boltswhich locate the rings, said bosses including webs for connecting thebolt receiving portion to the rim, said webs having one side thereofwhich extends from the rim to the bolt receiving portion at asubstantial angle to a radial line from the tumble axis to the point ofconnection of said side to said rim so that said bosses abet the siftingaction of the drum in feeding through the feed troughs and dischargeopenings and avoid lodgment pockets at the bosses, said tumble includingthrough tie bolts coactive with said rings and separate, individual,selective spacing elements of varying widths to provide easilyadjustable variations in the axial spacing between rings as measuredbetween adjacent rings.

5. A tumble including a series of coaxially mounted rings, eachincluding flat peripheral surfaces which combine with the peripheralsurfaces of other rings to form an outer barrel face, said ring being ofgreatest axial width at its peripheral rim and having its side facesconverging radially inwardly for co-operation with side faces ofadjoining rings to provide feed troughs leading to annularlyuninterrupted discharge openings between the spaced rims, mountingprojections carried by the rings and terminated in apertured bosses,through rods passing axially through said bosses and separately formed,individual spacers of varying widths selectively mounted on the rodsbetween selective bosses to maintain said rings axially spaced apart ineasily adjustable given relation.

LEO J. MEYER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 17,505 Hersey et al June 9, 1857 176,142 Little Apr. 18, 1876311,494 Johnson Feb. 3, 1885 655,927 Clark Mar. 10, 1896 612,744 MethvenOct. 18, 1898 613,867 Read Nov. 9, 1898 855,981 Rich June 4, 19071,024,832 Cox Apr. 30, 1912 2,298,497 Meyer Oct. 13, 1942

